The Unsolved Case
by Rae-Prite
Summary: Previously posted, now rewritten. Frank and Joe find that their parents have been keeping a very big secret from them for the past 15 years. Find out what happens when Fenton's one unsolved case is finally resolved.
1. Ch Author's Note

**Author's Name: **Rae Prite

**Title of Story: **The Unsolved Case

**Type of Story:** AU

**Rating of Story:** T

**Characters in Story:** F, J, Fe, L, and OC: Bethany Taylor

**Warnings: **Violence, _very_ light language (words like crap, crud, shoot, heck, and darn), and one reference to child abuse via dream form, and I know you're probably like: huh? But, well, you'll see...

**Plot Blurb:** Frank Hardy, 19 and a freshman in college, and Joe, now 18 and starting college in the fall, find out about a secret, unsolved family-related case that their parents have hidden from them for the past 15 years that has the potential to change their lives forever as a girl that disappeared from their lives comes back...

**Splash Page:** _How am I supposed to explain all this? I guess I should start at the beginning –at least as far into the beginning that I know- and when I get to the end, I'll... stop_. Beth suddenly giggled quietly at the unintentional reference to Alice in Wonderland, one of her favorite movies.

"Beth was about to explain what we could do to help her, right Beth?" Frank's voice suddenly brought Beth back to reality from her trip down the rabbit hole.

"Oh well, um, I'm sure that you probably have something better to do then listen to my ridiculous accusations!" Beth said before she could stop herself.

She did believe strongly in her opinions, but she was afraid that these guys, no matter how nice they may seem, would laugh at her saying that she was crazy. Or even worse, patronize her saying that she 'needn't worry her pretty little head about things like that', and she really couldn't take that without someone ending up with a black eye. She always did have a problem with controlling her temper.

**Special Notes: **The story takes place in May. It's not particularly grotesque, but there are some intense and emotional moments. It's the starting book to a series so it's a little sketchy, got pretty short chapters, and it is not a real cliffhanger, but I promise those kinds of stories will come later! I recommend that after you read this story, that you read my next installment: _A New Beginning,_ and look for more stories, which will come afterward.


	2. Ch 1  real

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 1**

A girl aged fifteen stood on the sidewalk staring at a white clapboard house on the corner of Elm and High streets. The house was beautiful –well set back from the street, with dark green shutters and flower beds in full bloom. Her sapphire blue eyes looked at the house number above the garage, and then down at a scrap of paper she was holding, wondering if she had done the right thing when she had bought that bus ticket earlier that day.

The memory of her best friends Mitch and Charli enveloping her in a hard, tearful hug before leaving that morning was playing on a permanent loop in her mind: _"Don't forget to write!" Charli called after her as she climbed onto the bus. She turned in time to catch Mitch's hands move in those old gestures that made Mitch, well, just good old Mitch. She had smiled sadly at her old friends, wondering if she would ever see them again. _

Now she shook her head, and swiped at her eyes trying to refocus on the task at hand. She took several deep breaths to summon her wits. After she readjusted the heavy backpack she was carrying she started up the driveway, her fears racing through her head faster than drivers going around a NASCAR track.

_What if I wrote the address wrong? I suppose I could look it up in the phonebook, but it might not be listed. What if they're not home, what do I do then? Go back? NO! No, I can't do that. I would shoot myself in the head before I went back there. And what if they don't believe me? They'll probably think I'm nuts, and call the nearest hospital, asking about runaway mental patients. And what am I supposed to say to them anyway? __**Sigh**__... Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough, but still..._

She paused on the walkway, a few feet from the front porch and clutched her mid-section, feeling a brief but raw pain in her stomach that suddenly hit her hard. _OW! God, that hurts! It's weird, but I've been feeling this pain a lot lately,_ Her mind realized. _I don't know why though... I hope it's just nerves. Ouch! __**Sigh,**__ All right now... don't you even think of quitting when you've come this far already. __**Darn it**__, you're tougher than that!_

She straightened her shoulders, and lifted her head a bit higher, in an effort to make it seem that she was completely calm and collected, before she stepped onto the front porch. It wasn't big, but it had a few hanging plants with bright pink flowers –pansies she thought- as well as a small white bench next to the railing on the left side of the door.

Glancing briefly at the plants, she felt a small smile on her lips, while her eyes glowed in appreciation. She had always loved flowers, since she had been a little girl. Though these weren't the daisies that she loved so dearly, she still liked the cheerful effect these had on the landscape.

Reluctantly turning, she faced the door. As she raised her hand, though, the questions came at her again; with more force this time. A voice suddenly made itself be heard over the ruckus: _**So what**__? At least she can say she tried, instead of wondering what would have happened!_ This effectively silenced the mentally tormenting subject, for the moment anyway.

She took another deep breath, and let her hand hit against the dark green door a few times to announce her presence. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, as she awaited her fate. Five minutes were passed in agony, and she wondered again about those insistent questions that had been bugging her moments before, but she stubbornly pushed them aside, and knocked a little louder on the door this time.

Two more almost unbearable minutes passed...

_Great! Just peachy, that's what this is! _She thought miserably, feeling that no one was home. _This was a stupid idea from the start. Okay, now comes plan B; Watch out Chicago! Here comes your next biggest hit!_

She started back toward the street, wondering how much money a bus ticket to the "windy city" from this suburb of New York was going to cost her. She might just have to stay here for a bit and look for a job. _Wonder if there are any places that need a waitress, or singer, who's a little short for, __**ahem**__, "eighteen"._

Even as the thoughts went through her head, she heard the door open behind her. Turning, she saw a young man standing there, looking curious, and just a smidge exasperated.

He was definitely what she would categorize as handsome. He looked like he was at least 19, maybe even 20, but she couldn't be sure. Dark brown, almost black hair was accented by warm chocolate colored eyes. He had a lean build, with a chiseled Grecian-like chin, accompanying a six-foot-one frame.

_Easy now girl, he's got to be taken if he's that good looking! Besides, he's too old for you... and there is that other small possibility you know._ She tried not to stare anywhere but his face, which she literally had to look up to since she was only five foot six and he was around six feet.

_His hair would be the same color of mine, if mine weren't a little more golden in places, and a little wavier... _The absurd thought came and went so fast that she wondered if she had thought it at all.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get to the door. I told my brother to go get it, and he told me to buzz-off, and, well, **ahem**- Can I help you miss?" His voice had a reserved but pleasant quality that seemed to make him very approachable, and the slightly embarrassed looking smile made the fifteen year olds stone heart melt a little.

She found herself smiling back at him as she walked back up the driveway to stand in front of him.

"I hope that you can. I'm looking for Detective Fenton Hardy; does he live here?" She held her hands behind her back, crossing her fingers.

The older teen smiled a little knowing smile, as he replied. "Yeah he does. I'm Frank; Fenton Hardy is my dad. Is there something he can help you with?"

_Oh yes, yes, YES!_ She exulted silently. _Okay, play it cool, don't scare the nice young man now._ She admonished herself silently.

"I was hoping I could talk to him about...uh, something important. Is he available?" She hesitated, not sure if she really had the guts to do this now that she was here. _Come on, you can't chicken-out when you've come this far!_ She told herself sternly.

Frank looked apologetic as he replied, "I'm really sorry miss, uh-"

She blushed with embarrassment as she replied. "Oh, I'm sorry… My name is Beth Taylor, well, Bethany actually, but I like to be called Beth a lot better." She smiled, and shrugged.

"It's nice to meet you Beth. Like I said, I'm really sorry, but my dad is out of town right now, and he's not supposed to be back until late tomorrow night at the soonest."

Beth's smile faded away, her shoulders drooped and the hopeful glint that had been in her eyes completely disappeared. "Oh, I-I see. Well, umm, thank you for your time, and I'm sorry to have bothered you." Beth smiled at Frank, but the smile didn't make it to her eyes.

She spun around, fully intending to run down the street before she burst into tears. But then, fate...

"Hey you know if you want, you could come inside, and maybe my brother and I could see if we might be able to help you." Frank said quickly, feeling his heart reach out for this young girl that just seemed to be able to scream without any words, _"I need help. I wasn't dealt a fair hand, and I need someone to help me out a jut little."_

Beth looked back at him, a confused expression contorting her features. "What? You? I-I mean... Look, I don't mean to be rude, but...how can you help me? You're just a kid like me." She folded her arms over her chest and cocked a doubtful eyebrow.

Frank grinned. "Well, my brother and I have both solved cases on our own, as well as helped my dad out with a few of his investigations since we were little. We're kind of famous around here, and considered detectives in our own right; so I guess you could say that we're replacements for when dad's not available." He shrugged.

Beth must have still appeared dubious, since Frank quickly added, "Look, I know you don't have any reason to take my word for it. After all, I don't have a badge to show you, just my word; but it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, would it?"

Beth was still about to say, 'no thanks,' but then she peered into Frank's eyes. They were such deep brown eyes, that looked so sincere and kind and oddly familiar. They had this glint in them that said, in so few unspoken words, _'Trust me, I can help. I know I can.'_

"I- I guess that would be okay... As long as I wouldn't bother anyone, that is." Beth looked at Frank as if this was her last ditch effort at getting out of the whole situation.

Frank smiled warmly, making Beth feel she had known him her whole life. _Or, maybe more like in another life altogether, _she mused silently.

"Well, if we work at it, we might be able to bother my younger brother for being such a pain about answering the door..." Suddenly the smile turned a little devilish and he cocked an eyebrow as he added, in a lower tone, "You wanna see if we can?"

This time Beth couldn't help herself and she snorted out right at the older boy's antics. She nodded her head, helpless to the fact that she still couldn't make a noise other than giggling, as she followed Frank into the house.

_Well, if nothing else, this will be a very entertaining evening,_ Beth thought with a smirk.


	3. Ch 2

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 2**

Ten minutes before while Beth had stood out on the street debating with the torturous questions in her mind, Joe Hardy had been dealing with some equally torturous questions in his Calculus textbook.

_I hate school, I hate exams, I hate teachers and their stupid pop quizzes! If I have to answer one more question, I'll- -_ He growled out loud in his aggravation, then sighed._ Okay, come on Joe, graduation is in a month, don't lose your cool yet...God, I can't wait!_ He thought with irritation.

_Mr. Rayne is nuts if he thinks anyone can finish this assignment by Monday! Well, except for Jessica Drake the know-it-all teacher's pet. __She__ could probably finish with enough time to go to the grocery store and buy the roundest, reddest, apple possible to put on Mr. Rayne's desk in the morning, the little show-off! I still remember the first day she came to Bayport High, with her perfectly pressed mini skirt, bleached white knee socks, and spotless purple sweater. In one week's time managed to make it onto the honor roll, get the position of head-cheerleader, and end-up on the school's news paper staff... AS THE EDITOR!_

Joe suddenly sighed very loudly, not realizing until now how annoyed the freshman made him. He never could stand show-offs, although his own nature could be confident, bordering on cocky now and then. Joe never did anything to overly impress someone else; it just wasn't his style. He preferred to do his best, not worrying about public appearance, and to let people decide for themselves what they thought of him... Whether the opinion was good, bad, or indifferent.

_At least,_ he eased his annoyed spirit; _she is only a freshman, so she can't bug me once I'm out of school._

He looked at the clock, and groaned. It was already 3:45 in the afternoon. _So much for going to hang out with Biff and Chet- They're probably already done with shooting hoops at the park, and gone all the way back home again!_ Joe thought regretfully, _why did mom have to make me do my homework on a Saturday of all days anyway? I could've gotten it all done by tomorrow, and still be on time picking Vanessa up for our date._

He sighed again, but this time it was a sigh of bliss, thinking of the tall, willowy, ash blonde that had stolen his heart and left him head-over-heels in love. _I have got to be the luckiest guy on the planet! Maybe even the whole universe! Okay...maybe that's taking it a little far; after all, Frank's pretty lucky himself since he found May, and I really couldn't be happier for the two of them...although when they start getting all cozy and cuddly it does make me want to vomit a little! _He shuddered, melodramatically.

_Okay Joe, you're getting off track here, back to word problems... now!_ Joe told himself sternly.

He was still working on a word problem where 'Jane was traveling on a train going to San Diego, California from Chicago, Illinois, going 55mph on a one-way route. If the train made six stops along the way that were each twenty minutes long, how long would it take her to cross the 2079.53 mile distance if she started her journey at 5am?' _These questions never make any sense! And why do I even care about where 'Jane' is going anyhow?_

Suddenly there came a knock from the front door downstairs, breaking the eighteen-year-olds concentration. "Joe, can you get the door?" His brother called through the bathroom door that connected the two teenager's rooms.

"Buzz off Frank! I'm a little busy with my homework right now to be answering the door!"

There was a very loud sigh, and then a patient voice replied, "I've got homework to do too you know!"

Joe was getting frustrated with his older sibling. _It would be so much easier to be the older one!_ He thought, _at least_ _then I wouldn't have to have these kinds of arguments._ As the knocking sounded again on the door, more loudly this time, Joe told his dark-haired brother with finality, "Frank, I'm not getting it, so unless you want whoever it is to think we're not home and you want to turn away a potential case, I suggest you get the door!"

He heard a sigh, a chair scoot back on the carpeting followed by Frank's door open, and he knew he had won. Maybe two seconds later his cell phone started ringing from the deep, hidden depths of the area that was once his desk. It WAS once his desk, however after several months of no cleaning it was now covered in papers, books, and other odds and ends. It took him a few minutes to find his cell phone, but it was finally excavated from its dark prison, and Joe flipped it open to answer the call.

"Hello?" Joe said into the mouthpiece.

"_Hello Joe. Your cell was buried again, wasn't it?" _A deep, familiar voice teased from the other end of the line.

"Hi dad!" Joe grinned into the phone, "yeah it was a little out of reach."

"_I figured as much." _Joe heard his father chuckle through the phone.

"Are you on your way home?" Joe asked.

"_That's actually why I'm calling, as a matter of fact. I finished up early with the case here in Montana, and I need your brother to come pick me up from the airport in a few hours. I'm still in Montana, but my flight to New York is boarding in a few minutes. Then I'm catching a flight to Bayport, but I left my car in the garage, so I need a ride home." _Mr. Hardy explained.

"Okay dad, no problem. I'll tell Frank. What time should he be there?"

"_Probably around 5 o'clock tonight, since I'm landing around 4:30ish. He should probably get going pretty soon actually -it's already after three."_

"Alright dad, I'll tell him. And I'll see you when you get home. Bye."

"_Bye."_

Leaving his homework sprawled across the desk Joe left his room to see where his brother had disappeared to.

Reaching the first floor, Joe saw his brother standing in the living room. "Hey Frank, I just got a call from dad and-" Joe's voice trailed off as he saw that his brother wasn't alone.

As a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl smiled shyly at him, Joe shot Frank a questioning glance.

_Who on earth is this? _He thought.


	4. Ch 3

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 3**

"Hey Joe, this is Beth. She was looking for dad, and I told her that maybe we could help. Beth, this is my brother Joe, the one that doesn't like answering doors." He winked at Beth, who giggled slightly, before standing and extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you Joe: the one who doesn't like answering doors." She said with a very solemn face, though he caught a little mischievous twinkle in her eyes sapphire blue eyes and her lips twitched.

"It's a pleasure." Joe replied, obviously ignoring Frank's pun and the added title.

_Wow,_ Joe thought after he finished shaking the teenager's hand, _she's got some amazing eyes... and a killer grip! I wonder if she hangs with guys a lot, because this hurts even me._ He massaged his hand when Beth's back was turned.

This caused his brother to shoot him a look of mock disgust, and Joe in turn, stuck out his tongue at him.

Beth was oblivious to the whole ordeal, starting to get wrapped up in her apprehension and troubling questions again. _How am I supposed to explain all this? I guess I should start at the beginning –at least as far into the beginning that I know- and when I get to the end, I'll... stop_. Beth suddenly giggled quietly at the unintentional reference to Alice in Wonderland, one of her favorite movies.

"Beth was about to explain what we could do to help her, right Beth?" Frank's voice suddenly brought Beth back to reality from her trip down the rabbit hole.

"Oh well, um, I'm sure that you probably have something better to do then listen to my ridiculous accusations!" Beth said before she could stop herself.

She did believe strongly in her opinions, but she was afraid that these guys, no matter how nice, would laugh at her saying that she was crazy. Or even worse, patronize her saying that she 'needn't worry her pretty little head about things like that', and she really couldn't handle that without someone ending up with a black eye. She always did have a problem with controlling her temper.

"Don't be ridiculous! We love hearing about peoples wild accusations; and we definitely have nothing better to do!" Joe responded, feeling extremely intrigued by this girl. He had never met her before, and yet there was something oddly familiar about her, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"I don't think I'd go quite _that_ far... but I'm also very interested in hearing about your, so-called 'wild accusations.'" Frank said, looking at Joe with a reproving glare, but as usual Joe ignored him and watched Beth with a mesmerized stare.

Beth smiled slightly, realizing that maybe these guys weren't going to think she was crazy. "Well, I guess I should show you some things I found at Tim's apartment."

"Who's Tim?" Joe asked.

"Oh, yes I suppose that would be helpful to know. Tim is my uncle; or at least, I thought he was my uncle..." Here she trailed off uncertainly. _This went a lot smoother in my head on the way here from Queens,_ Beth thought, absently chewing her lip.

"So... you don't think he's your uncle now?" Frank asked.

"Well, you see... ah, it's kind of like, um... **Sigh**, I'm not making much sense am I?" She muttered the last part under her breath, mostly to herself, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Not very," Joe said without thinking and regretted it immediately at seeing Beth look up sharply at him, a pained expression emanating from her eyes.

"I'm sorry Beth, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I tend speak before I think… then again I also act before I think a little bit, and things can kind of slip out sometimes." Joe apologized.

"Sometimes?" Frank muttered in a low tone, rolling his eyes heavenward.

She gave him a weak smile. "It's okay Joe. I just feel sort of silly coming here and talking about all this, and I'm afraid that I'm going to sound completely insane when all things are said and done. The fact is I feel like I might be going off the deep end anyway because it's all so confusing to me." Beth replied.

"Why do you think you're crazy Beth?" Frank asked her gently.

"Well, I guess because all my life I was raised to believe one thing, and then two days ago, something changed everything in my world from ever being the same again. Truthfully, it makes me so baffled that I don't know which way is up, and which way is down anymore!" Beth told them, looking as distraught and mixed up as she felt.

"I have an idea. Beth, why don't you start by telling us what happened two days ago, and then work your way forward to today? Do you think you can do that?" Joe proposed.

"Well..." Beth bit her lip.

"Could you at least try?" Frank asked kindly, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Alright," Beth consented, "I'll try."

She took a deep breath, "You see, it's like this..."


	5. Ch 4

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 4**

_JFK airport, terminal C, gate 34..._

Fenton Hardy tried to get comfortable in the hard, plastic, airport chair while he waited for his flight to be called.

_Supposed to have been a simple fraud case! Should not have taken this long... I was only supposed to have been out there for a week, two at the most... and here I sit, __**three weeks later**__, still waiting to finally go home!_

Mr. Hardy sighed, wishing, not for the first time, that he never had become an investigator, and had stuck to law school or at least the NYPD. If that had happened, he wouldn't have been away from home so much over the years, and he wouldn't have missed some of the more important moments in his son's lives, including the final months of Joe's high school career currently happening now.

_Or what would have happened in her life..._ He thought sadly, feeling the old heart ache that he felt whenever he thought of the daughter that he had barely known.

He pulled a photo from his wallet that showed his baby daughter, only a year old, sitting on his lap smiling at the camera. _She was so beautiful... she had hair that was Frank's color, blue eyes like Joe and Laura's, Gertrude's facial structure, and she had my nose. She definitely had Joe's spirit though! She was always taking a tumble or two, walking at 5 months old, and had already gotten her first two front teeth. _He traced her face with his fingers, reminiscing of better times.

_Only a year old..._ he thought, feeling the tears burn his eyes and his heart tighten in his chest. _We had just celebrated her 1st birthday that past week when she was- was taken._

_The day she disappeared, I swore I would find her! I promised Laura and myself that I'd find our little girl... the one promise that I never could keep. The one unsolved case in my entire career, and it was the one that truly counted the most. Just shows how good a detective I am if I can't even find my own flesh and blood! _He added with disgust.

_And now look at how much time has passed! 15 years… She would've been sixteen in September. Driving... probably would've had a job of some sort, and a boyfriend. So many missed prospects... Teaching her to ride a bike with no training wheels; first day of school; first school dance; first date; first heartbreak; first time sneaking out late; first car and her first driving lesson; even her first prom will all be missed because of my stupidity, and my asinine profession!_ He felt a tear slide down his cheek, and he angrily wiped it away.

_If only I could have done something! Tried some other avenue –there must have been something that I missed... something important that could blow the whole case wide open! _He sighed, though, when he realized that that was just wishful thinking.

The police and he himself had examined every shred of evidence, and tracked down every lead... But everything had ended in a blank wall. All the possible suspects had been eliminated; whether it was because they were still in prison, dead, or for a few, they had gone straight and were now leading completely legitimate lives.

When the police had hit what felt like the millionth dead-end in the case, and over nine months had past, the case was labeled cold and the department moved on. Fenton though, was not giving up that easily and continued doggedly on, working and reworking that case from every angle possible. After a year and a half, Laura told him enough was enough.

"_We don't have the time or the resources for you to keep working just on this one case; you have to start worrying about other people's problems, because they will be __**paying**__ you to do so!" _She had shouted at him angrily late one night when she had found him in his office engrossed in that exact same file, **again**.

"_I'm just trying to find our daughter! __**Our**__ daughter! Doesn't that mean anything to you? Does it make any difference to you that our one and only daughters' vanished from the face of the planet, and I'm the only one that's still looking for her?" _He had shouted in return, just as frustrated with his fruitless efforts as he was with his wife's outburst.

Laura's temper got hotter than ever, as she yelled back: "_Of course I care! Of course I care that she's gone, and that I'll never see her again!_

Her voice dropped down to a whisper, her heart breaking as the next words were forced from her dry throat._ But that just makes me want to protect the children I still have even more. It makes me want to spend as much time with them as I can. And it makes me want my husband to spend as much time with them as he can, because they aren't going to little boys forever. Someday they'll grow up –they'll be young men and they'll be having their own children. I care. I care so much it hurts. I miss her every day. Every day, I look out of the window, and think, 'Maybe today's the day that she'll come back to us.'" _Laura's eyes looked haunted and sorrowful, and she continued with in a hollow voice._ "But that's not going to ever come to pass Fenton. She's gone. We won't ever see her again."_

"Final call for flight #271, non-stop from New York to Bayport –flight #271 is now boarding!"

Fenton was zapped back to the present, by an announcement over the loudspeaker. After one more look at the photo, he pushed it back in its slot, and heaved a heavy sigh.

Picking up his bag, he walked toward the gate, boarding pass in hand. After getting settled in his assigned seat, he fastened his seatbelt, leaned his head back and closed his eyes, waiting for take-off; hoping that somehow the plane could lift his heavy heart and spirit.

Sadly, he knew that wouldn't happen. He also knew now that after almost sixteen years, he might never see his daughter again. "Oh, Bethany…" He murmured, a tiny tear rolling down his cheek.


	6. Ch 5

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 5**

"Well…I um, it's kind of a weird story. You see, I don't exactly know who my parents are. My uncle raised me in Queens, and he'd always said that my dad split several months before I was born. My mom supposedly died giving birth to me; so up until now I thought that he was the only relative that I had left." Bethany ended the sentence with a sigh. _Why can't I just come out and say it? _

"But now you think otherwise?" Frank asked.

"Well, three days ago I overheard Tim, my uncle, on the phone. I **definitely **was not supposed to hear that conversation. He was speaking Russian –I didn't even know he knew that language- with someone who sounded pretty pissed-off. Trust me, I know enough Russian to know all the curse words and boy were there a lot of them."

"What did you hear?" Joe asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"He said: 'We've been waiting too long as it is! If I'd had my way we would've gotten our money twelve years ago. Instead, we've been waiting almost sixteen years!'"

"Then Tim said, 'Calm down, we'll get our money soon now. Just give me a little while longer, and I'm sure I can-.' The guy interrupted him though and said, 'You've had too much time as it is! If I don't get my share soon, I'll finish the job myself! And the girl isn't going to be as comfortable as you've made her.'"

"'Now Isaac, let's not do anything rash.' Tim licked his lips nervously, 'after all, she's young and not very bright. I mean, she hasn't even figured out that her parents **are** alive,' He chuckled, 'or that I'm not even her real uncle!' There was a pause on the line, 'Alright _comrade_,' He said that kind of sarcastically, 'I'll give you another two weeks, but not any longer!' Tim looked relieved after that."

"Then they started talking so low for a minute, and I couldn't hear them. Then suddenly I heard the guy say: 'Do you still have the address, or not?' Tim looked spooked again and stuttered, 'Th-the address? Oh yeah, yeah I've got it. I keep it with the rest of the stuff. It's all together in a box in the bedroom.'"

"Tim laughed harshly then, 'It's hysterical isn't it? She's been wanting all her life to know about her family, and all she had to do was go into the bedroom, look under the bed and all her answers would be right there!' The person on the other line didn't sound very amused, 'Yes hilarious. Just make sure that this time, you **don't** screw-up again!' 'Don't worry, I **won't**.' And then he hung up. He said that last part so coldly; it, it made me shiver." Beth protectively wrapped her arms around herself, feeling numb from the memory.

After a minute, she gave herself a little shake, and went on. "Anyway, after he hung up, he put on his jacket, grabbed his keys and left. I knew there was no telling how long he'd be gone, so I decided I'd chance it and look for the box he'd talked about. I ran down the hall into his room, and found it right where Tim had said it was. I grabbed it, and ran to my room. I was so excited, my hands shook. I lifted the lid and saw a scrap of paper with an address written on it, and a few other odds and ends too.

Beth's voice took on an awed, hushed tone as she went on. "But what caught my eye though was an oval-shaped locket. It was so pretty! It had been engraved in cursive too. Actually, you can see for yourself if you like." Reaching behind her, Beth pulled away a chain from her neck that had said gold pendant. She handed it to Frank with the words, "Open it."

Gently Frank clicked the tiny trinket open. Inside he saw the words: _"To Bethany Rose Hardy, with love forever Mom & Dad!"_ Next to that was a small picture of Laura and Fenton that had been taken at a baby-shower two months before their daughter's birth. Frank suddenly felt dizzy and he looked at Beth unbelievingly.

Frank opened his mouth, but before he could form a sentence, the front door opened and his mother walked in. "Hi boys. Sorry I'm late, but I bought pizza for dinner to make up for it. Better get it before it gets-" Laura didn't finish as she suddenly saw the girl sitting with her boys. She looked dazed for a moment as she saw a younger version of Gertrude Hardy sitting next to Frank.

"Hi mom," The girl said tentatively.

Laura blinked once... twice... three times before the words sunk in, and then she had Beth tightly grasped in her arms, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "I missed you so much, sweetheart!" She gasped.

Bethany hugged her lost mother tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Whoa, stop the presses!" Joe exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Frank asked his eyes wide with incredibility.

"Joe, Frank," Laura replied, looking over Beth's shoulder at them, "There's something you should know. You have a sister, her name's Bethany," She gently pushed the girl away, just a little, so they could see her face. "**This** is your baby sister."

Beth looked at her older brothers with wet eyes. "Hey." She sniffed and wiped her eyes a crooked smirk on her lips.

Her eyes twinkled as she told them. "I told you, you would never believe me!"


	7. Ch 6

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 6**

At the same time that Frank and Joe were getting reacquainted with their little sister their father was getting acquainted with a cab driver.

Fenton, for the past hour, had waited as patiently as can be expected; considering he had had a 20 minute delay on the tarmac…with no air, or drinks. Now patience is a virtue, but no one, no matter how angelic they may seem, can go their whole life without losing it every once in a while. And, well…let's just say that Fenton lost it just a tad…I'll let you use your own imagination on this one.

It had been one of those weeks for Mr. Hardy, so here he sat in the back of a taxi, after many tries and failures in a pointless effort of trying to reach Frank, Laura, or Joe. He'd also tried the house, and then remembered that the phone lines were down due to a recent storm. His mind raced with worries about his family as one horrific scenario after another came to him. Your mind is prone to do that when you're a detective.

'_What could be keeping them? I only just talked to Joe three hours ago! If __**anything**__ happens to them I-I'll…'_ He left the thought unfinished for the moment, unable to let his mind wander in that direction. His thoughts had been too depressing as it was lately.

When the cab pulled in front of the house at last, the investigator felt relieved at seeing lights on and shadows inside. Quickly paying the driver and grabbing his bag, Fenton hurried up the walkway. He fumbled with his keys a second then inserted them and turned the lock.

When he pushed open the door, Fenton immediately heard voices and laughter. Three were familiar, but one wasn't. _Let's see…Laura's laugh, definitely; Joe's loud voice; and Frank's reserved one… but who's the fourth person?_ The detective silently ticked off in his mind the recognizable voices as they were heard, however he couldn't find a memory match to the last.

It was sweet and feminine sounding. Not too loud like Joe's sometimes was, nor very reserved like Frank's –a perfect balance. It also had a melodic tune that suggested a hidden talent for music, which only the most trained and experienced ears could hear.

Having both, Fenton heard tune almost instantly. You really shouldn't be even a little surprised at this. After all, we are talking about The Fenton Hardy here. But being a former NYPD, and now a world-renowned detective, he heard something else there too. Something most people never did hear, and certainly something Beth hoped no one ever could.

But Fenton heard it- a slight hesitation before every sentence, a stutter here and there, and a quiet tone of uncertainty. To most this meant nothing, and they would automatically dismiss it…but to the man standing in the shadows, it meant so much. It revealed a history of being pushed down, of being thought of as useless, not having one's own thoughts appreciated or heard. It showed a lifetime of not having the courage to speak-up, being told what to do, and not possessing the strength to just say no.

The detective quietly made a mental note of this while putting down his bag, and hanging his coat in the hall closet.

"How'd you find out where we live?" Joe asked excitedly.

"I found an address and your dad's name in the box Tim had. So I cross referenced both on the web and it showed me the location from a satellite photo, and gave me all kinds of information on him." The girl answered.

The discussion quieted for a moment, and as it did Fenton's mind kicked into high gear._ Tim? Who in the world's Tim? The only Tim I knew was the partner I had on the force right before we moved out of the city. Nice guy, but not a very good officer- a rookie really. Always getting into trouble with the chief, mostly for gambling, drinking too much, and for cutting too many corners. But that can't possibly be whom they're talking about! Last time I heard he'd moved to south Queens. Became a mechanic I think. Something about inheriting a niece…or was it a nephew?_

"What's Tim do for a living anyway?" Frank queried curiously.

"It's always been different stuff. Before I was born, he was a police officer but he got thrown off the force for reckless endangerment and obstruction of justice. Now he's a mechanic in a garage near his apartment in south Queens." Fenton suddenly felt his jaw hit the floor.


	8. Ch 7

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 7**

"How did you get from Queens to Bayport?" The questioning had continued, despite the fact that Fenton felt he had been punched in the gut. He hardly heard her answer "the bus," he was so wrapped up in his thoughts.

_Tim? Thrown off for endangerment and obstruction of justice? Oh man, I knew the kid was a little high-strung and easily excitable, but I never thought he'd be thrown off! Especially for something that serious!_ Fenton silently shook his head in disbelief.

"Didn't you ever think Tim and you weren't related before this?" Joe said, sounding concerned.

"Well it had crossed my mind once or twice, especially whenever he came home drunk and said things like, 'You're so worthless! You'll never amount to anything in your life and you'll never find happiness. If your parents could see you now, they would hate you and what you've turned into!' I always loathed Tim the most when he said things like that, but I sometimes questioned if maybe he was right. God knows I'm not perfect and I've done my fair share of horrible things. But at the same time, I also wondered how someone who was related to me could hate me so much. That's when I really started to think about whether we were related at all."

This statement seemed to verify Fenton's suspicions about the girls past. _Poor kid! That must've been so hard to live with!_ Quiet as a mouse, Mr. Hardy looked around the corner into the dining room where the voices were coming from. From where he was standing he could see his sons facing toward him on one side of the table, opposite them was Laura sitting with her arm draped over the girl's shoulders.

Joe was talking, but his father had his attention focused on the back of the mystery girl's neck. Looking closely, he noticed something strange, just beneath her bobbed hair. _What is that, a birthmark? Huh, that's funny, it looks just like a rose. I wonder… Whoa, __**what**__ are you thinking Hardy? That was nearly sixteen years ago! It's impossible-isn't it_?

_**Flashback**__..._

"Oh, she's so **beautiful** Fenton!" A young woman cooed to her husband, as she looked down at her newborn daughter with loving eyes.

"Yes she is." Her husband agreed giving his wife a kiss on the cheek.

"What do you think we should name her?" She asked looking up.

"Whatever you want to name her- we named Frank after my dad, and Joe after your dad, so we're running out of relatives." He replied with a smile.

"Don't you have any ideas?"

"Of course I do, but I want you to name her!"

She smiled. "That's sweet honey, but I want you to name her with me. After all, this is hopefully going to be our last one. I don't think I can take anymore!" She laughed jokingly.

"Oh really, I was sort of wishing for another boy." He looked disappointed, but she saw the mischievous twinkle in his eyes that she had fallen for years ago.

"Ah heck, how 'bout we just have twelve and pretend their doughnuts!" She said with a careless laugh.

"Oh Laura, you mean it?"

"No I don't mean it! Last time I checked, you're not the one that has to get fat, have mood-swings, food cravings, all the while trying to juggle two bouncy toddlers!" She looked at him with serious eyes, and he immediately sobered.

"I know you were kidding, so was I. But I really think you should name her; I've never really been very good with girl names." He admitted sheepishly.

Laura smiled. "In that case, what do you think of Ashley?"

He winced. "I don't know. It's just that, Ashley is a little too… cutesy for me."

"Oh so you do have a preference then?" She grinned as his face reddened.

"Well…maybe a small one."

"Tell you what, how about we ask the boys?"

"You really want to rest the fate of our daughters name in the hands of a three and a two year-old?" He cocked an eyebrow and wondered if the exhaustion from the birth was beginning to affect her brain.

"Sure! After all, what's the worst that could happen?" Laura said chuckling.

He couldn't have looked more shocked if Laura had grown another head. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am! I think they're both old enough and perfectly capable of choosing normal, regular names."

He chuckled. "Alright honey, I'll go tell Gertrude to bring them in."

"Kay." Fenton kissed her again, then leaned down to kissed his daughter. When he left, Laura suddenly found herself all alone with her baby.

She looked down at her daughter so tiny, and so innocent. A new life that, as yet, had no idea of what the world was like. Laura smile down at the infant with such motherly love, she could swear that her little girl was smiling back at her. "I love you so much!" She whispered to the baby in her arms. "I'll always love you, and I'll always be with you no matter where you are…I promise." She leaned over a little and planted a kiss on the infant's forehead, sealing the promise with all her heart.

Just then, Fenton re-entered the room with his elder sister and two toddlers in tow.

"Hello Laura, how are you doing?" The older woman asked.

"Just fine Gertrude," Laura smiled at her sister-in-law.

"And how's my little niece?" Gertrude smiled down at the baby.

"She's practically perfect in every way!" Laura quoted from Gertrude's favorite film, causing the latter to turn slightly pink, and the woman's brother to snort loudly and turn around, trying to get his laughter under control.

Gertrude scowled at Fenton, and retorted with her famous peppery tongue, "At least I didn't spend all my time reading ridiculous comic books with those silly superheroes. Honestly, they all wore the tightest outfits that made them look like they were shrink-wrapped into them!"

"Hey, those were not 'ridiculous'! As a matter-of-fact, those so-called silly comic books are worth a fortune now!" Fenton defended his beloved childhood past time.

"Oh, gag me with a **spoon**!" His sister scoffed.

Before Fenton could make a reply to that, Laura decided it was time to cut-in. "Now come on quit that! Sheesh, do I have to separate you two?" She asked in exasperation.

"Yes!" The three adults suddenly looked down at Frank and Joey, remembering they weren't alone. Frank was the one who answered, and he seemed very proud of himself for being a part of the grown-up's conversation.

Laura smiled at her little boys. "Auntie and Daddy are being silly aren't they?" She asked.

"Yeah, their fighting just how Joey and I do." Frank replied with a little giggle. Gertrude and Fenton both looked ashamed of themselves.

"Sorry Sis."

Gertrude smiled ruefully, "I'm sorry too."

"Well, now that that's all settled. Who would like to meet their new little sister?" Laura said, beaming.

"Me! Me! Me!" The boys cried together. Fenton grabbed them both around the waist, and hoisted them onto either side of the bed.

Joey stared at the baby with curious eyes. Frank too, seemed fascinated with this squishy-looking thing; which, strangely enough, was even smaller than Joey.

"What's her name?" Joey asked.

Laura looked up at Fenton, who sighed reluctantly, but nodded his agreement to the unspoken query. "Well, baby, that's why we brought you both in here. We, your Father and I, want you and Frank to name her."

Both of the boys looked up with eyes as big as saucers. "We get to do it?" Frank asked, awed.

"Yes you!" Laura answered with a sweet motherly laugh. "Do you think you're up to the challenge?"

"Oh yeah, we can do it!" Joey answered for them both.

"Well then, any ideas?"

Frank looked at Joey. Joey looked at Frank. They both squeezed closed their eyes in concentration.

Frank was the first to open his eyes, and he looked at his mom. "What about Bethany?" Laura seemed puzzled for a minute, trying to figure how a name such as 'Bethany' managed to enter a three-year-olds mind. "Where did you hear that name sweetheart?"

"I met a girl named Bethany in daycare, she was really nice. Even for a **girl**." _Well, that clears things up a little. At least the part about where he heard it._

"I think that's a nice name honey, is that the one you want for the baby?"

"Yes!"

"All right then. We have a first name: Bethany! Did you come up with anything yet Joey?" He had opened his eyes now and was staring in the baby's general direction, but not exactly at her.

"What's that?" He suddenly asked, pointing at the baby's neck. Laura strained to look down, but was unable to go far without jostling little Bethany.

"Fenton can you see it?" She asked in frustration. He looked down in the direction of where his son's finger was pointing. Looking, he saw that his son was indicating, a small discoloration on the back of her neck. "It's a birthmark. Kind of looks like a rose, actually."

"Rose?" Joey repeated.

"Yes that's what I said. Rose."

"Rose." He said again.

Gertrude was getting annoyed with her nephew. "YES Joseph! We all heard him say rose, you don't have to repeat it a hundred times!"

"I'm not repeating!" Joey stated indignantly. "I was saying I like the name Rose!"

"Hmm…Rose." Laura looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I never really thought about it before, but Rose is a very pretty name. Don't you think so?" She glanced at Fenton and could tell from his face that the wheels in his head were turning. Slowly, a small smile spread across his face.

"Yeah," He nodded, "yeah, it is a very pretty name. I like it."

"What about you Gertrude?" At first she pressed her lips together, but finally she replied, "As long as you're happy, I'm happy for you. Just do me one favor," She added.

"Let's call her Rosie it's much more sophisticated then Bethany." They all laughed, despite Gertrude's straight face.

"Frankie we have a sister now!" Joe said excitedly, "I'm going to be a great big brother to Rosie –just like you are to me!"

Frank blushed at the praise, but smiled at his brother. He looked at Rosie and his brother's words sunk in. _Now I got to take care of them both... I hope I can do a good job._

"You know Trudy," Fenton said, looking from the baby to his sister. "She looks a lot like you when you were a child."

"Don't be silly Fenton. My eyes aren't blue, they're green."

"But I can see what he means Gertrude." Laura piped up, studying her daughter carefully, "She may have my nose and eyes, and her father's ears and chin, but her facial bone structure –it's more like yours."

_**End of flashback...**_

Fenton, after standing in the hall for so long having been sucked back into the past, decided to make his presence known. Quietly he moved into the dining room light.

"How come you waited two days to-" Frank stopped mid-sentence seeing someone beyond Beth and his mom.

The older woman frowned and turned, suddenly seeing the detective. "Fenton, you're home early! I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow."

"Things got wrapped-up quicker than I had anticipated." He answered.

He cleared his throat, and nodded his head at the girl who still hadn't turned around. "Uh, honey- this is, um…"

"Bethany." The brunette had answered the unspoken question herself. Rising, she turned to face the father she had thought had abandoned her and her young mother. But in that instant, first glance at the man she had hated so much, Beth felt her heart melt and the tears that should have been shed so long ago came rushing back to her in a torrent.

Seeing those wet blue eyes, made all the thoughts and feelings of earlier come back to the investigator, and compelled him to grab and pull her close to him. Being in those protective arms made the tears come on more strongly, causing her to sob harder as she buried her face in his chest.

He rested his chin on Beth's head, and gently rocked her to-and-fro. "It's okay now." He murmured in her ear, "No one's going to hurt you. Everything's going to be okay from now on –I promise." And he meant it. He swore silently, then and there, that he'd make the monster that took his little girl away pay for what they did.

After a couple of silent minutes, Beth seemed to have control of her emotions again. The sobbing had ended, and the crying had simmered down to sniffles. She looked up into her Dad's face through redden eyes, feeling every emotion of loneliness, hatred, hurt, and injustice, she had once felt for the faceless person called 'Father' simply leave her soul forever.


	9. Ch 8

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae Prite**

**Chapter 8**

"Somewhere, over the rainbow –skies are blue, and there's a land that I've heard of, once in a lullaby." Beth hummed to herself as she brushed her short hair. She was sitting in the guest bedroom, in front of the vanity dresser's mirror. It had been decided that, for the time being, Beth would use the room as her own until another solution could be found.

_Personally, as long as I have somewhere to sleep, I don't really mind where,_ Beth thought reflectively. _I'm just so happy, to have my family and be as far away from that creep as possible!_ As glimpses of painful memories flashed through her head, she involuntarily shuddered. _I don't know why I didn't figure out he was a fake a long time ago. I saw the signs! So, why couldn't I put two and two together?_ Beth sighed. _Maybe I am as stupid as Tim always told me I was._

She jumped slightly as someone knocked on her closed door.

"Beth? It's Joe. Can I come in?"

_Guess I'm not exactly used to people knocking before they come in!_ "Oh, sure, come on in." The door swung in inward as Joe entered.

He smiled shyly. "Hey."

"Hi." Beth looked down at her beat-up sneakers. Joe shoved his hands into his pockets. Neither of them said anything for a full minute.

"So…um, do you like?" Desperately Joe's mind searched for a topic. Glancing around the room, his eyes fell on a skateboard that was strapped to Beth's backpack. "Skateboarding?" He blurted out.

Beth followed her brother's gaze to the board.

"Yeah, it's something I've picked-up on recently." Beth shrugged, but kept her eyes floor-level.

"Are you any good?"

Again, Beth just shrugged.

"Well, you're probably a lot better than me. I haven't been on a board since 7th grade." He grinned.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I mean- I was lucky if I could get to school without falling flat on my face at least 20 times!" She laughed. Joe noticed how her face lit up a beautiful pink in her cheeks when she smiled. _She's really a pretty girl when she's not so self-conscience._ He thought.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up like that." Joe shook his reprovingly.

"I'm not beating myself up- I really am that bad!" Beth stated firmly.

"Oh yeah, prove it." He said slyly.

"If you're so determined to see me kill myself, fine!" She jumped up, grabbed the board, and pushed passed Joe's tall figure. Grinning to himself, he followed her. _This should be interesting!_

In a few minutes, both of them were in front of the house.

"You ready to see how terrible I am?" She asked as she strapped on her helmet.

"Definitely! But I'm telling you, you're probably the next Tony Hawk, and just haven't realized it yet," He grinned again as she ignored him and concentrated on her board.

She'd positioned her skateboard at the top of the driveway, and after a moment pushed off.

Beth took off like a shot down the hill, leaned to the right, and whizzed past her brother down the street. She pushed off with her foot to get more momentum, leaned backward into a giant arc then came back up the street. She pushed off twice more, bent her knees, and shot up in an Ollie. She landed on her feet perfectly, and Joe caught a satisfied grin on her face. After one more turn, Beth came to a halt in front of the house. Panting, and with flushed cheeks, she took off her helmet a wide grin on her lips.

"I've been trying to get that trick down for two months now!" She exulted.

"Wow! That was incredible! You're amazing." Joe told her grinning like a hyena.

She bowed her head, modestly accepting the praise. "Thanks, but there are a ton of kids that are much better than me!"

"There aren't that many that I know of," He informed her seriously.

Beth's cheeks grew warm from all the attention. "Uh, well, thank you; again. Um, come on, let's go inside."

Joe saw how uncomfortable he was making her, so he backed off on the compliments.

"So," Beth said, wanting more than anything to change the subject. "Frank tells me you like to solve mysteries?" She looked up at him expectantly.

"Yeah, it's kind of a hobby." He shrugged.

"It must be pretty cool: helping people out, putting criminals in jail. It sounds exciting." She prodded.

Joe glanced down at her, but when he did, she ducked her head and toyed with her hair.

He smiled. "Yeah, it is exciting; especially dealing with the bad guys."

"What kind of cases, have you and Frank handled?" Beth asked, her blue eyes sparkling.

"All sorts!" Joe crowed cockily. "I remember one case we had a couple years back where we were almost blown-up by a bomb!"

"Tell me about it? Please!" Beth begged.

"Well…I don't know," Joe said hesitantly, but with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "It might be too scary, and I wouldn't want you having nightmares!"

She glanced up with a 'you have got to be joking,' type of look.

"Alright, I'll tell you!" He threw his hand's up in a mock surrendering gesture. "But hey, you got to let me know if you start getting scared, okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, now come on and tell me already!"

"Well, it all started when this guy came and asked us to figure-out how someone was getting inside his old house's time vault, and dropping threatening notes in the center of the rug. Then, when Jade began disappearing all over Bayport including from Mr. Applegate, this wealthy gentleman that had given us our first case, Frank and I knew we were in for a long summer-break*!"

*The case mentioned here is _While the Clock Ticked_, and was a part of the original Blue Spine series, so I don't own it. It was my favorite Hardy Boys story though and I couldn't resist referencing it here.


	10. Ch 9

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae-Prite**

**Chapter 9**

Beth kneeled in front of the dresser in the guest room, putting her clothes into it. She had left most of her stuff at Tim's, wanting to travel lightly. She did, however, grab some of her more important property besides clothes.

Beth ran her fingers over the smooth top of the plain brown, wooden box that had an umbrella and a few raindrops painted delicately onto it. Beth had had this music box as long as she could remember. She smiled at the box, some of her few happy childhood memories flashing through her mind.

Placing it on the floor, she also took out a well-worn novel and a rather dirty looking, small, stuffed rabbit. She opened the front cover of the book, _The Wizard of Oz_, smiling affectionately at the inscription in the old book. Beth had always loved the message that had been penned into the book, feeling the warmth and love displayed through the words. Whoever had first received this book certainly was very lucky to have such a loving father.

She put the book beside the music box, and fingered the soft fur of the rabbit. This, too, she had had for years. He was a little worse for wear, but she loved him anyway, especially the baby rattler that was sown inside his soft torso. Beth gently placed the rabbit beside her other childhood treasures.

As she reached inside the pack for another pair of jeans, she heard a discreet cough. Beth turned and saw Frank in the doorway. "Need a hand?" He asked with a smile.

"Sure." She smiled back and patted the floor beside her.

He came and sat cross-legged beside her and picked up one of her shirts, about to put it away he suddenly stopped and stared at the three items she had just taken out of the backpack.

"What is it?" Beth asked, noticing his stare.

Frank didn't answer at first, but reached over and picked up the rabbit off the floor, staring at the small furry creature for several minutes. "I've seen this before..." He said softly.

"What? What are you talking about?" Beth looked genuinely confused. "I've never showed Nibbles to anyone."

"Nibbles...Nibbles... Wait a minute! Now I remember." Frank's face lit up with a wide smile. Turning to his sister, he asked her excitedly. "How long have you had him?"

"As far back as I can remember. I think that Tim found him at a garage sale or something." She shrugged, "What does that matter?"

"No, I don't think that he did. Nibbles was my old rabbit! I remember now that I gave this to mom for a present to you at your baby shower. He was supposed to help keep you safe when you were asleep." He added the last part softly, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Oh lord... You mean that... After always thinking I had nothing left of my family, it turns out I had it in front of me all along!" Beth half-asked half-exclaimed, feeling incredibly happy at the thought.

"I think that he must have taken a few of your things to keep you happy and feeling more at ease with familiar things around you." Frank reasoned.

"I suppose that makes sense... in a very twisted and sick way." She shuddered a little and tried not to think about all of the ramifications of that logic.

"What about this stuff? I've had it for as far back as I can think of." Beth asked picking up the music box, and the book she had placed on the floor earlier.

Frank looked at them drawing his brow together in concentration. "They both seem somewhat familiar..." He took the box from her hand and opened the lid; a soft melody soon played out from the small box, whilst a tiny ballerina figurine twirled.

Beth smiled as she listened to the song that had helped her sleep through numerous nights after awaking from horrid nightmares. She began to hum along with the song, _Chim Chim Cher-ee _from the musical _Mary Poppins, _as it played out.

Frank closed the box as the song ended, still staring at it thoughtfully. "I'm not as sure about this, but... Aunt Gertrude's favorite movie of all time is _Mary Poppins_, so this could have come from her."

"Wait a minute," Beth flipped the box over, showing a silver plaque that had tarnished a little with age that had engraving on it. Frank read the words aloud:

'To my favorite niece,

I hope that this simple token will always remind you of the love your family has for you. Treasure it always!

Love, Aunt Gertrude'

"Well, that would be a definite yes, wouldn't you say?" Frank asked with a grin. Beth nodded, feeling numb.

Frank then reached for the last item, the book. He held it gingerly, worried that it would rip if he weren't careful with it. His eyes roamed over the front cover, realizing that this was a highly prized first edition, due to the original cover art and the once white –now more of a light yellow– hardback cover. He flipped it open to the publishing date, which read, 1934 by M.A. Donohue & CO Publishers in Chicago, and whistled as his suspicions were confirmed. Although the book was first published in 1900, and was followed shortly by a sequel in 1904 and twelve others afterward, Frank knew that this was still an incredibly valuable book to have survived the Depression and the Second World War.

He flipped over another page, and felt his heart skip a beat. His eyes hungrily read over the heartfelt inscription.

'To my little girl,

I am giving you this book to remind you that though there will be times that we'll be worlds apart, I am always with you. Remember that there really is "no place like home," and home is when you're with people that you love, and that love you –not when you're in a specific place.

I'll love you as long as the stars shine in the sky,

-Your Father'

"Oh my god..." Frank murmured, awestruck as he read the inscription written in his father's handwriting over again.

"Frankie? Is anything wrong?" Beth asked, frowning at her brother's face –a mixture of recognition, shock, and disbelief.

"No, nothing's wrong it's just–" He whipped his head around to look at her. "Did you just call me 'Frankie'?"

Beth blushed, "I, uh, I guess I did. I kind of tend to do that to my friends names- you know? Shorten it a little, or give them a nickname... Do you mind?" She added awkwardly.

Frank smiled. "No, I don't. It's just that no one has called me 'Frankie' since my elementary years. I kind of miss it actually..."

She smiled in relief. "Oh, good! You could call me a nickname too if you want?"

Frank pursed his lips, "I'll have to think about that. But, anyway, getting back to what I was trying to say before. Nothing in the world is wrong at the moment; for the first time, I think that things are actually really very right!"

"Frank, you're speaking gibberish!"

"Beth, have you ever read this dedication?"

"Of course I've read it. It's really sweet... But what of it?"

"Do you know who this was written to?" He pressed further.

"Some girl that got it from her dad I guess," She shrugged, not seeing where this was going.

"Beth, this wasn't dedicated to just **any** girl. It was dedicated to you! That's dad's handwriting." Frank pointed to the words with his index finger.

Beth stared at the words, her chest feeling tight. She felt tears stinging in her eyes as the realization that the touching message she had for so long believed was lovely and perfectly sweet but written for someone else, was in fact penned for **her**!

"Dad wrote that for me?" Beth whispered.

"I guess he did." Frank smiled, but then frowned when he saw the tears that were threatening to spill over from her eyes. "Squirt what's wrong?"

"I- I uh- oh, never mind," She rubbed at her eyes, distractedly and shook her head. "It's nothing. Hey! 'Squirt,' I like the sound of that." Beth tried to smile to cover up her tears, but it didn't quite cut it for Frank.

"Beth? Please tell me what's wrong. I thought you would be happy finding out this was from dad?" He put the book down and placed an arm around his sister's shoulders.

"I am happy..." Beth's voice faltered a bit on the last word.

"But?" Frank pressed.

She sighed. "I never thought that my dad loved me growing up." She spoke so quietly Frank had to strain his ears to hear her.

"Why would you think that?"

Beth didn't say anything for a long while. She pulled her legs up against her chest and hugged her knees, resting her chin on them.

Beth finally started talking very quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was always told that my father had been a typical teenage father that freaked when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant with his child, and took off abandoning my mom and me. I was also told that when my mom gave birth, it killed her. I always blamed him for being such a coward and leaving me with my alcoholic uncle. I hated that he didn't have the guts to be a father..." She waited half a heartbeat, voice dropping to a level that would make a dog have to strain his ears and had Frank not been sitting so close he never would have heard her next words.

"I hated him."

"What?"

Beth burrowed her head into her arms, slowly letting tears slide down her cheeks for the third time that night. She hated crying –hated how it made her nose stuffy, how it made her head feel thick, achy and heavy, and her eyes puffy and red. But in this instance she couldn't hold the dam in any longer.

Frank put his arms around his sister, and feeling her shoulders tremble, he pulled her closer in an attempt of comforting her.

Beth's tears were silent, only the slight shaking of her shoulders showed they were there. It was several minutes before she got the tears to stop falling and speak.

"I- I'm sorry." She looked up at Frank's concerned brown eyes and sighed. "The 'dad' I knew was a coward... he was a man that I didn't know but I hated anyway. I felt it wasn't fair for him to leave me like he did –even if I wasn't the best child to call his own he should have stayed anyway! It wasn't fair..."

"I know. I know that it wasn't fair for you to feel that way, and I'm sorry that Joe and I got dad and you didn't... I know that that wasn't fair, but you have to let go of your past. All that matters now is your future, and I promise you that no matter what happens, you will always have a future and it will include us. We're not leaving you behind..." Frank promised his sister, kissing her forehead.

Somewhere from the back of Beth's mind, a quote from a Disney movie popped into her head, making her smile. "O'Hana. O'Hana means family, and family means..."

"...No one gets left behind, or forgotten." Frank finished with a smile. "You may have once been left behind, but we didn't ever forget you. I'm not starting now, and I can promise you, you will never be left behind again."


	11. Ch 10

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae-Prite**

**Chapter 10**

"Do you think that the boys will be able to adjust to the change; I mean, it's just been the two of them for so long now, suddenly having a sister will be very different." Laura's feminine voice asked anxiously.

"Don't worry so much honey!" Fenton answered his wife. "I think Frank and Joe will be just fine; matter of fact, I saw Joe and Beth outside earlier having a great time! And later, I passed by the guest bedroom and heard Frank giving Beth a hand putting away her clothes. So I don't believe we have anything to worry about."

Laura still didn't look convinced, "If you say so…"

"Hey, why are you so sad? Both the boys are going to be fine. Besides, what's important is that we have our daughter back!"

"You're right. I guess I'm also a little worried about Beth; after all, she grew-up in a completely different environment than what we have here. It's going to take a lot of adjusting; on her part, and ours!"

"I know it will, but I also know that we will get through this! We've been through tough times before-"

"But not like this!" She interrupted. "We don't know anything about Beth! We don't know what she's used to, what she likes, what she doesn't, we literally have a stranger living in our house that we don't have a clue about except that she's our own daughter!" She plopped down on the bed, and put her head in her hands in despair.

Fenton sighed, sat beside her, and put his arm around her in a comforting gesture. He held her for a minute and spoke in a calm, and soothing manner.

"Laura? Sweetheart, I know this isn't going to be easy, and I admit, we don't know much about Beth; but like you said she's our daughter! And even though we haven't been with her before this, we're here now, and we've got the rest of eternity to be there for her! So, I think we should just try and make the best of it, and just try and make Beth feel at home-I really think that's all we can do!"

Laura looked up at her husband, and smiled. "How did I manage to find such an incredible man like you?"

"Uh…excuse me? You find ME? Not the way I remember it!"

She grinned coyly. "Oh yeah? Well let's see if you remember this:" With that, she pulled his head down further, and kissed him passionately.

"Oh baby!" He said, after they had pulled apart for breath. He came in for another kiss. "I should come home more often!" He murmured against her soft lips.

"What? Who's there?" Joe said groggily. It was the middle of the night. What had woken him up?

_Is that crying I hear? _He sat up, but when he did, he could hear Frank's soft snoring coming through the open bathroom door that connected their rooms.

_Maybe I was just dreaming._ He thought sleepily.

But no, wait, there it was again: soft, muffled crying. "Bethany?" He murmured.

He grabbed a robe that was flung across the desk, and walked down the hall to the guest room.

_Man,_ _I hope Beth's okay._ He wondered with worry. When he reached the door, he paused before knocking. Sniffles and sobbing could be heard on the other side; but then Joe heard whimpering, followed by what sounded like punching and kicking. _What's going on in there?_

He tried the handle, and found it twisted easily. Stepping inside the pitch-dark room, he glanced around. When his eyes had adjusted, he could see his sister lying in her bed, threshing, and fighting against the bed sheets, which had entangled her. Joe moved toward the bed, seeing she was still asleep.

"Beth? Kiddo, are you alright?" He asked in a hushed tone. He started shaking her shoulders, trying to wake her up.

"Beth? Come on, kiddo wake up! You're having a nightmare; everything's fine! You're okay!" Gently he slapped her cheeks, and shook her some more.

Finally she started coming around. Her eyes flickered, and she shook her head a little. At last, her eyes were fully open. She looked around her in confusion, like she didn't know where she was; then she focused on a blonde boy leaning over her with his arms restraining her own.

Her first thought was to scream, but then a flood of memories came back in a rush: A phone call, Tim a fake, box with a locket, buying a bus ticket, saying goodbye to Mitch and Charli, skating through town, walking up to a house, Frank, Mom, Dad, Joe.

"Joe? What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare. From the looks of it, it was pretty bad!" Joe told her, letting go of her arms as he did.

Slowly, Beth sat-up on the edge of the bed, "I haven't had one that real in years." She put her hand to her head.

"Do you remember what it was about?"

Beth nodded.

"You want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "No. But I know I should."

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I'm in my old room in Queens. Tim's holding me down on the bed. He's beating me up-I-I try to scream, but nothing comes out. I'm crying from the pain, and he laughs in my face. 'What's the matter little girl? Do you have a boo-boo?' I try to hit back, but my punches don't make any difference...He just keeps laughing. He just keeps mocking me..."

"Beth, that's horrible." Her brother said quietly, blue eyes stinging with tears. She shrugged her shoulders, "What else can you expect from a girl who has lived in dread of that happening someday."

"Did he ever…" Joe wasn't sure he wanted an answer to this question. "Did he –I mean, you know, hurt you? Is that what happened to your arms, and lip?"

"Noticed those huh? I suppose you have a right to know- being my brother and all." She sighed. "Yes, he did use me as his own personal punching bag. Practically every day after school, I would somehow manage to piss him off, and well…a lamp would be handy, or maybe even his belt. I got to where I not only joined as many after school activities as I was allowed, but also worked harder in keeping my grades up. I mean I knew it wouldn't make a difference with Tim, what my letter grade was, but at least I could stay at school as long as possible and delay the inevitable." Beth told him, a bitter edge to her voice.

Joe wiped away a tear as it rolled down Beth's cheek, and put his arms around her. He pulled her head down on his shoulder, and whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry you had to go through any of that. But I promise you right now, that you he will not have the chance to do something like that ever again to you... no one will. I promise." He kissed her head lightly.

She took in a jagged breath, and smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Do you want to get some cookies and milk in the kitchen?" He asked.

She nodded.


	12. Ch 11

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae-prite**

**Chapter 11**

Beth pushed her feet in a pair of ratty slippers, and pulled on a shabby robe. Joe surveyed her outfit with amusement. "O…Kay then. I guess I know what to get you for Christmas."

Beth smirked. "My favorite colors are green, and purple." She informed him sarcastically as they quietly walked downstairs.

They reached the kitchen without making a sound. Joe said that he'd get the milk and cookies, so Beth sat down at the table rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Here you go." He said as he placed a tray of Chip's Ahoy cookies, and two glasses with milk down on the table.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Beth bit into the cookie, and chewed it thoughtfully.

"A penny for your thoughts," Joe requested with a grin, before taking a big bite.

"I don't know. I guess was just thinking how the last time I ate cookies, I was with Mitch and Charli."

Joe looked confused. "Who?"

"Mitch and Charli Sanders lived in the same building as me and Tim. We went to school together, and hung out all the time. They were my best friend's…my only real friend's." She added gloomily. "I'm not sure why, but I wasn't exactly very popular at my old school. Probably because I'm rather stand-offish, keep to myself, and I'm also something of a heartbreaker."

Now Joe was giving Beth the 'Are you serious?' look. "You: a heartbreaker? Really? I don't see that."

She smirked, "Try not to look that shocked. I think my middle name is appropriate, since I'm sweet looking on the outside,"

"It's on the inside too." Joe interjected, with a grin.

Beth rolled her eyes, but kept going. "Like a rose. But some boys are just too blind to see that I've got thorns, and I'm not afraid to use them. I'm not a boy's toy; and I'm not anybodies squeeze... No matter how hot or popular they may be!" Beth stated defiantly eyes sparking.

Joe was quiet for a minute.

"You know Beth, when I first met you I thought you were a very shy person, who got that way from being pushed around. Now I see that, while you're very reserved around new people –and even people that you don't like, or are afraid of- you're actually a very defiant, no-nonsense, stick-up for yourself, type person. I admire that."

Beth blushed from the praise, and the blunt analysis of her personality, secretly thinking of how wrong it was.

"Thank you Joe. But, you haven't quite got me figured out just yet! I am quiet around new people-and people I don't like. But one thing you're wrong about is that I never have been able to stand up for myself. I mean, sure, I could flip a grown man twice my weight over my shoulder on to the ground in a fight if I had to! But I wouldn't do it otherwise. I hate conflict; I hate having to break somebody's nose without their being a justifiable reason. I don't know, I guess I never have been angry enough with someone to get into a fight, where I had to do any real damage."

"Except, there was that one time in third grade where I gave Harry Jackson a black eye…" Beth softly reflected, mostly to herself.

Unfortunately, Joe heard her comment. "Wait, was that last part?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"What part?" Her voice sounded alarmed, and she refused to meet his inquisitive eyes.

"Bethany…" Joe said.

She looked up guiltily. Joe stared at her as if he had just caught her with one hand in the cookie jar.

Beth sighed in defeat. "Alright, you really want to know? It was the first day back from break. I had spent half my summer break in girls' softball practices and games, and the other half in a self-defense kickboxing class at the community center. It was Tim's Idea. He was tired of me coming home from school without what would've been the rest of my lunch money –having lost it to typical school bullies."

"Are you telling me that Tim was actually concerned about you?" Joe seemed significantly shocked.

Beth smirked ruefully. "I wish! He was just annoyed that the 'oh so precious' change leftover from the three dollars he was giving me, wasn't going back into his pocket! So he decided to spend the twenty-five dollars, and enroll me in these summer courses. He figured it balanced out in the end… and I, for one, was not going to correct him on his math."

Beth paused for breath, and to take another cookie from the tray. "Anyway, like I said, first day back in school. I held on to my lunch like it was a bag of gold. Weirdly enough, no one even noticed me. I ate my whole lunch, without even a glance from the other kids."

"After lunch, the teachers herded us all out to recess. I was planning to ask the boys if I could play kickball with them. They had completely blown me off last semester –you know, for being a girl? And the girl's had blown me off for not being girly enough. I figured that, hey, if no one was trying to get my lunch, maybe they'd let me play, ya'know?"

She took a sip of milk. "But I never got that far. I passed by the jungle gym, and heard crying. I looked, but I didn't see anyone. _I'm just hearing things_, I told myself. Then I heard it again! So, I walked silently under the monkey bars, looked around the slide, and saw a fight happening."

"There were three fourth-graders, and two new kid's I'd never seen before. A sandy-haired girl who seemed to be my age, and a boy with the same colored hair, but who looked older than the girl. Two of the bullies were beating on him; the other was holding the girl back."

"It was the girl who was crying, and I felt so sorry for her. The fourth-grader holding her was Tommy Greenstone, real big guy; he was only ten and was already 5'3"! I could tell he was hurting her arm's, from how badly she was bawling her lavender colored eyes out. I just had to do something! A teacher would've just given them detention and a tongue-lashing. It was all me. I thought to myself, _'Well, time to see if those classes were really worth it!' _And that's when the fight broke out…"


	13. Ch 12

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae-Prite**

**Chapter 12**

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" A voice suddenly called.

Three fourth-grader bullies whirled to face the challenging voice. When they did, one began snickering, while the other two elbowed each other in amusement. For their assailant, was in-fact a third-grader- and to top it off, a girl!

The ringleader of the pact was the first to speak. "Hi _Rosie_! We didn't see you there. I'll tell you what, why don't you go sit and read a book like you usually do, and just forget all about what you've seen, hmm?" He patronized her with exaggerated politeness, bringing more snickers from his 'Boys'.

The girl answered him with a deceptively sweet smile, though her voice was laced with venom as she answered him. "First: My name is Beth, and you know it. Secondly: Why should I? I have a right to be here as much as you three do. And lastly: Why are you beating this kid to a pulp? I mean could you be more pathetic? Picking on the new kid's? Please! Like that hasn't been done before!" Bethany rolled her eyes dramatically just to annoy her mortal enemies.

Suddenly Harry Jacks' pasted-on smile vanished, turning into a scowl. "Listen orphan girl! You've got no right to be sticking your nose where it's not wanted! So unless you want to be joining these two, I strongly suggest you leave now, before I get really mad!"

"Oh really?" Bethany asked innocently, "What were you before this? Just frustrated on account of that math quiz you didn't study for? I sit behind you remember? I saw that big, red, letter written on top; I bet that's going to make-for a wonderful discussion when you get home!"

Bethany knew that she'd hit the right nerves, just from glancing at Harry's enraged features.

He suddenly lifted his fingers, and 'Snap!' His follower's reacted like clockwork. In second's, a large Tommy was poise for action in front Beth, while the other boy, Peter Griming, took hold-of the girl. Harry was still pushing the boy down with one foot on his back, and one hand restraining the boy's arm.

Bethany didn't hesitate either.

When Tommy's arm moved backward, she was ready, her body poised in a classic kickboxing stance. As tall boy's fist pulled back, one fleeting thought ran through Bethany's head:_ I swear to God, if those stupid classes don't help here, I sure hope they work when I get home! Especially if I don't win!_

Tommy's punch launched, and with a swift twirl, Bethany not only avoided contact, but also in the process grabbed the boy's arm, and flipped him 180 degrees, onto his back.

"Ow!" Was the only response from Tommy, but needless to say, it did produce a grin from his attacker.

_I can't believe that actually __worked__!_ She thought in amazement. But even as the words went through her head, Bethany heard a foot-pound on the concrete.

Out of the corner of her eye, Beth caught Peter's quick, footfalls. Spinning, she caught him with a right-hook to the jaw. He staggered back, holding his mouth in pain. _Oops! I forgot he just got braces this summer! Ooh, his orthodontist is going to have his work cutout for him!_ Bethany unconsciously bit her lower-lip. Harry took it as a sign of regret, and didn't holdback.

Quickly releasing his captive, he balled his hand in a fist, and took a hard swing at the girl's stomach.

"Oof!"

Beth, feeling the wind knocked out of her, doubled-over and gasped for breath. Harry seized his chance. He made for her guts once more, but Bethany was too fast for him. Grabbing his leg, she gave a hard yank, and Harry suddenly felt his leg's go out from under him. He fell to the pavement with a hard thud.

But he jumped back up, his green eyes aflame. Harry began dealing punches left and right; but every time, Beth had already ducked, dodged, and dived out of the way. Harry appeared to be tiring, so Bethany dealt a hard punch to the face, causing the bully to fall once more to the ground. And this time, he didn't get up.

Bethany towered over all three of the bullies. Nonchalantly brushing hair out of her eyesight, she remarked with a sarcastic smile, "That was fun boys! We really should do this more often!"

Having finished with the attackers, Beth now turned her attention to their victims.

"Hey, you guys okay?" She asked the girl, who was examining the damage done to the boy, who Beth now realized, had hazel-green eyes, and was clearly not as much older than the girl as she had estimated.

"I think he'll be fine. Thank you." The girl answered quietly. He smiled weakly, though doing so caused him to wince.

Bethany smiled warmly. "I think you should get those bruises, that nose, and possibly even your arm checked by the nurse. I can show you where the office is if you want; I know the way well!"

The girl looked surprised. "I would think from the way you just tangoed with those jerks," She nodded her head in the direction of the fourth-graders, "you would be totally lost within five minutes of searching!"

Beth chuckled. "Yeah, well, a few months ago, I would've taken their suggestion earlier, and ran as fast as I could!"

"So, what changed?" Both the girl's had put a supportive arm under the sandy-haired boy's armpits, and working together, lifted him off the ground. As they slowly made their way back toward the main school building, Bethany began explaining her different approach to the situation. By the time Beth was finished, they had arrived at the nurse's office.

"So, are you really a-you know a, um…" The girl didn't know how to put her question into words, without sounding rude.

"An orphan?" Bethany finished. "As far as I know, yes. But can I tell you guys a secret? You got to swear you'll never tell anyone; especially my uncle!"

"We promise!" Sandy-haired boy nodded as well, he had improved considerably, and was now standing on his own; although he only put a tiny bit of weight on his left foot.

"Well, I know how crazy this might sound! But, sometimes late at night, when I can't sleep, I go to my window, look at the moon and stars, and I know that, somewhere out there, my mom and dad are looking at that exact moon, thinking of me the same way I'm thinking of them. Is that totally nuts?"

The girl smiled. "No. Not even in the least! I feel the same way about my mom! She didn't die, she just," she sighed "left. I like to think that maybe she misses me as much as I miss her."

Bethany smiled. "Look at that! We have something in common."

"Well, here's to having more things in common!" She extended her hand. "I'm Charli. This is my brother, Mitch."

Beth took her hand. "Bethany."

AN: Sorry to anyone who found this chapter ridiculous and/or unrealistic, but in my world stuff like this can and does happen. Hey, if there's a secret entrance/hidden room into every building in the world (according to Layana Kaldare & Kaldaka's: _101 things I learned from the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew_), then an eight or nine year old kid can flip a boy much bigger than her over her shoulder! That's my logic anyway ;)


	14. Ch 13

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae-Prite**

**Chapter 13**

"The next day, I saw just how much damage I had done to the troublesome trio!" Bethany had ended her tale, and her last cookie.

"So? How bad were they?" Joe prodded a slight grin on his face. But Bethany was not in the mood to be rushed. She leisurely sipped her milk and watched her brother chafe at the delay, her smirk hidden by her glass.

"Would you please tell me?" Joe sounded exasperated, but she simply grinned into her cup.

"Don't give me a reason to hurt you!" He threatened jokingly.

She smirked more deeply and put her cup down. "Okay, A: You are a very impatient person. B: You wouldn't be the one hurting me, it would be the other way around, and we both know it! And C: Yes, I'll tell you."

Bethany ticked items of injury off on her fingers as she spoke. "Tommy was left with terrible, purple and black, bruises on his wrist and back. Peter had a swollen jaw; and from what I heard, very sore teeth. Harry was quite the sight with a black eye! Personally, I think he was much better looking after that day. And he and his pal's never bothered us again."

The brunette shrugged, "After that, I avoided using any of the techniques I learned that summer if I could help it."

Joe frowned in perplexity. "The school, parents, teachers, principal, no one ever said something?"

Beth snorted. "Are you kidding? Those boys wouldn't dare admit to anybody that they had had their butts' kicked so badly, and definitely not by a girl! Most likely they just said that they had gotten in a fight with each other." Again, she shrugged.

"What's your favorite fruit?" Joe suddenly asked.

The random question made his sister do a double take. "What? Joe… Do have a mental condition I should be aware of?"

Joe rolled his eyes and smiled thinly as he explained himself. "Well I was thinking, I don't know a lot about you and I should since we're related. So, what's your favorite fruit?"

"Oh… In that case, I like peaches and strawberries. Oh and bananas."

"Really? I like strawberries too! Well, technically, my favorite dessert is Apple cobbler; but you know, you have to have variety." Joe said grandly.

Beth smirked and nodded, silently thinking: _Oh, yeah! Total nutcase…_ Then she suddenly yawned, rubbing her blue eyes sleepily.

_She looks __really__ tired!_ Joe thought while gapping a little himself.

"Why don't we go to bed?"

Beth just nodded. Rising, she made as if to start clearing their dishes, but Joe beat her to it. Grabbing the two cups, and the plates from her hands, he walked to the kitchen. Not letting her help, he ran water from the faucet, and rinsed the dishes.

Finally, the pair walked upstairs. Joe walked Beth into her bedroom, despite her quiet protests that she could get there by herself for goodness sake. She lay down on her bed, and her brother threw the covers over her, making her mutter something about not being three and a half. He smiled, walked to the door, and turned back.

"Goodnight Sis."

A smile played about her lips as she replied in a sleepy voice, "Night Bro."

The sun's bright early-morning rays, greeted a new comer in the Hardy home. Bethany, despite having a late night, had gotten up early to go for her routine 5 AM jog. She yanked on her sweatshirt, and pulled what longer hair she had into a ponytail.

Just before tiptoeing downstairs to leave, Beth happened to glance out the window at the crisp morning. Then she stopped, and took a better look. It was a typical may day: sunny, barely any cloud's, with rich green trees. No, the days hadn't changed, but Beth had. For the first time, in a long time, Bethany had hope. Not just hope for the day ahead of her, or even for the coming days.

Bethany Rose Hardy, had hope for her future. She now would have a future with a family that loved her and cared about her –one that truly wanted her. This was a feeling, she prayed, she'd never lose. That she would never forget.

_I can't believe this is really happening! All along I knew in my heart that something wasn't right. I guess it was about time I listened to my own instincts._ Her eyes began filling with tears. She wiped them away quickly._ Enough of this emotional crap! I better go running before I decide to start watching Oprah, while eating bon bon's._


	15. Ch 14

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae-Prite**

**Chapter 14**

That morning was not unlike any other May morning in Bayport, but unbeknownst to the majority of the just waking citizens, a phenomenal change had happened in the Hardy household where a new comer now resided.

Said new resident quietly tiptoed inside the house from her jog and hurried upstairs to grab a shower in the guest bathroom.

As Beth passed Joe's door she paused, backed up, and glanced in again. She hadn't been mistaken though. There lay a big lump of tangled sheets and blankets on Joe's bed that Beth could only assume was her brother. Near the top of the bed a foot stuck out of the blankets, and at the bottom there was a suspicious looking tuft of blonde hair and an arm that hung off the side.

Beth cocked an eyebrow, and felt a smirk form on her face. _Well, there's something you don't see everyday..._ She thought wryly before she started walking again.

Passing Frank's room, she stopped once more, this time to marvel at the differences between the two boys' rooms. While Joe's looked like four tornadoes had gone through it with clothes, model cars, comic books, and muscle magazines on every available surface, Frank's room was neatly organized with books and CDs alphabetized on a few book cases and shelves, clothes were tidily hanging in the closet, and the desk cleared off with the exception of a computer and a printer. Although Joe's walls were covered in AC/DC, Aerosmith, and The All-American Rejects posters, Franks walls were tastefully decorated with framed pictures of friends and family.

_I thought Frank and Joe were just different in looks, but I guess it extends to personality as well,_ Beth reflected before going to the guest room and closing the door softly.

BHxHBxBH

Twenty minutes later, Beth came out of the shower to the smell of pancakes and eggs wafting up from the kitchen. She heard and felt her stomach growl loudly, and was reminded that other than the two slices of pizza she had last night, she hadn't eaten for the past day and a half. Beth quickly changed into a worn in pair of jeans and a junior-sized grey and blue accented jersey with quarter-length sleeves.

Padding downstairs softly, she found her father and Joe talking at the table, and Frank and her mother in the kitchen. She stood in uncertainty just at the bottom of the stairs, wondering what to do when Joe spotted her and called her in with a "C'mon Beth, we don't bite!"

Shyly, she walked into the dining room and took a seat across from Joe.

Her father smiled, "sleep good?" He asked.

Beth was about to answer when Joe jumped in.

"Morning kiddo, sleep ok?" Joe smiled and winked, to which Mr. Hardy cocked an eyebrow.

Beth smirked. "Yeah pretty good, but I kept having this dream where you're running around the backyard in Spiderman boxers yelling 'My spidey-senses are tingling!'" The smirk became a grin as Joe blushed through a glare and Frank laughed loudly from the kitchen.

"Good one Squirt!" Frank said as he laid a plate of bacon on the table. He gave Beth a high-five before sitting down next to her.

"Mooom! Frank and Beth are laughing at me!" Joe whined.

Laura rolled her eyes. "This is exactly why I didn't want more than three Fenton." She told her husband from her place opposite him at the table. Mr. Hardy appeared not to hear her as he flipped the page over in the morning paper, but it must be confessed that he was grinning like the Cheshire Cat behind the stock market page the whole time. The paper shook slightly as he held back laughter.

Joe, meanwhile, pouted like a sullen little boy. Beth snorted in response as she poured orange juice into her cup. Frank ignored his brother completely, preferring to dig into his scrambled eggs with gusto.

Eventually realizing that no one was paying attention to him, Joe dropped the pout and grabbed a handful of bacon -with his bare hands it should be noted- and began stuffing his face.

"Joseph Hardy!" Laura cried in mortification and disgust. "You know better than that."

Joe was about to start apologizing when he noticed his sister had put one pancake on her plate, layered it with bacon and eggs, put one more pancake on top of that and cover the giant sandwich-like concoction with syrup. His eyes widened as Beth cut off a section bigger than her palm and stuffed the whole piece in her mouth.

Becoming aware of Joe's stare, Beth finished chewing and shrugged her shoulders. "What? Its better tasting this way and it saves time." She smirked again.

The family was beginning to realize that Beth preferred to smirk than actually smile, and deduced that this was most likely on account of her unusual upbringing with her "uncle".

Speaking of which...

"Beth," Fenton said slowly. "You know that we're going to need to press charges against Tim, and that means that we'll need you to testify."

Beth grew quiet. She moved the food around on her plate, suddenly losing her appetite. She had known this was coming, but it somehow still felt wrong. Regardless of what she endured as a child, Tim still raised her. In a way, it almost felt like a betrayal.

_Beth, you knew that this was not going to be easy, but remember what you are trading for a life with Tim. You're getting the family you've always wanted. It's going to be worth it and you know it. Don't chicken out now! _She told herself sternly, trying to erase any sympathy for Tim from her mind.

"Beth, sweetheart, we can wait as long as you need to." Her mother put in gently. Laura sent a warning look at Fenton not to argue.

"No. It's better if we get this over with as quickly as possible. We can start immediately." Beth answered calmly, staring at a spot on the table and refusing to look anywhere else. She couldn't let her family see the haunted shadow that had dampened the spirit in her blue eyes.

"We'll make sure he pays for everything he's done Beth. I promise." Fenton vowed, placing a hand over hers.

Beth nodded numbly before going back to her food with more etiquette than when she left it.

Joe and Frank could taste the intensity that now hung in the air, and Joe, not being able to stand it any longer did something in a very typical Joe-like fashion.

He burped.

Laura scolded him again, while Frank laughed and Fenton chuckled. Beth only smirked, but it was better than nothing to Joe.

Thus was the beginning of the first day of Beth's new life as a Hardy. For the longest time, her pathway had been straight as an arrow and she could see everything that would happen in it, but now there was a bend in the road. Beth wasn't sure what would be around the bend, but she did know one thing: It was going to be one hell of a ride from here on in.

**The Beginning...**


	16. Ch 15  Epilogue

**The Unsolved Case –by Rae-Prite**

**Epilogue**

"So, she got away." A man with a thick Russian accent stated from his seat in the shadows. Only his feet, propped up on the desk, the glow from his cigarette and an occasional puff of smoke could be seen of him.

Two equally shadowy men stood in front of him with a thin, pale man between them. The thin man was sweating profusely, and looked like he might be violently ill at any moment.

"_Please!_" He pleaded pitifully in an American accent, "It wasn't my fault! I was at work, and I locked her door tight before I left. I didn't even know you could open that window in her room!"

"And she figured out who her parents were…" The Russian added thoughtfully, taking another deep drag and acting as if the pale man had not spoken. "Smart girl… Perhaps a little _too_ smart."

"_PLEASE!_" The second man dropped to his knees and held out his hands beseechingly. "Please give me another chance? I can get her back, and get the money you want, just please let me try!"

The head man seemed to contemplate this for a moment by taking an exceptionally long puff of smoke, and then letting out slowly as if thinking. But when he spoke, the Russian's voice held no pity, sending chills down the begging man's spine. "I'm afraid that your dependability has been deemed inadequate, comrade. You have shown time and again that you could not or would not keep that girl under stronger lock and key, this latest incident being a perfect example. Therefore, I am relieving you of your responsibility to the girl. However," and here, he paused dramatically, while the still kneeling man held his breath.

"I am not going to kill you –yet. But, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, or try and convict the rest of us of our past transactions you will dearly regret it. Get the picture?"

The American nodded, his face relieved. "Спасибо!" He murmured.

"Do not thank me yet, comrade. You're still expendable…" The Russian man smiled darkly as the American gulped and backed out of the room quickly, breaking into a run once he reached the hall.

The Russian chuckled, "Good old Tim… always good for a laugh." His countenance suddenly turned serious as he looked at the two remaining men in front of him. One was medium height, husky, red-haired and had cruel green eyes. The other was tall, thin and swarthy, with black hair and cold gray eyes. Both looked rough and mean, and exuded malicious vibes that would send chills down anyone's spine.

"Now then, I have a special assignment for you two. It's quite simple really and I hope, for your sake, that you can do it without screwing it up." The man leaned forward and crushed his cigarette in the ash tray, before tenting his fingers lightly and resting his elbows on the desk. "I want you to find Bethany Hardy, and bring her to me."

To be continued…


End file.
